All the versions are in accord as to the primary points of the story. A gallant young fellow, who pays no regard to the game-laws, goes out, despite his mother’s entreaties, to ding the dun deer down. He kills a deer, and feasts himself and his dogs so freely on it that they all fall asleep. An old palmer, a silly auld, stane-auld carl, observes him, and carries word to seven foresters [fifteen #B#, three (?) #C#]. They beset Johnie and wound him; he kills all but one, and leaves that one, badly hurt, to carry tidings of the rest. Johnie sends a bird to his mother to bid her fetch him away, #F# 19, 20, cf. #B# 13; a bird warns his mother that Johnie tarries long, #H# 21 (one of Buchan’s parrots). The _boy_ in #A# 20, 21 is evidently a corruption of _bird_. Information is given the mother in a different way in #L#. #B-G# must be adjudged to be incomplete; #I-M# are mere fragments. #H# has a false and silly conclusion, 22–24, in imitation of Robin Hood and of Adam Bell. Mrs Harris had heard another version besides #G# (of which she gives only one stanza, #L#), in which “Johnie is slain and thrown owre a milk-white steed; news is sent to Johnie’s mother, who flies to her son.” It is the one forester who is not quite killed that is thrown over his steed to carry tidings home, #F# 18, #G# 11. #D# 19, #E# 17, and Mrs Harris’s second version are, as to this point, evidently corrupted. The hero’s name is Johnny Cock, #B# 2, #C# 1; Johny Cox, Rev. Mr Boyd; John o Cockis (Johny Cockis?), #H# 17; Johny o Cockley’s Well, #A# 14; o Cockerslee, #D# 14; of Cockielaw, in one of the versions used by Scott for #F#; o Cocklesmuir, #E# 13, #H# 15. Again, Johnie Brad, #G# 1, #L#; Johnie o Breadislee, #F# 14; Braidislee, #J# 2. The hunting-ground, or the place where Johnie is discovered, is up in Braidhouplee, down in Bradyslee, #A# 6, high up in Bradyslee, low down in Bradyslee, #A# 12; Braidscaur Hill, #D# 6, Braidisbanks, #D# 12, #I# 1; Bride’s Braidmuir, #H# 2, 5; Broadspear Hill, #E# 2, 5; Durrisdeer only in #F# 4. The seven foresters are of Pickeram Side, #A# 3, 19; of Hislinton, #F# 9. #B# 1^1 reads, Fifteen foresters in the braid alow; which seems to require emendation, perhaps simply to Braid alow, perhaps to Braidislee.